Kim Williams

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Talk story about 61-year-old Kim Williams, who can be heard on National Public Radio's news-and-commentary program"All Things Considered." Perhaps as many as 2 1/2 million people listen to Kim Williams, in Missoula, Montana, as she talks on topics ranging from the dangers of mistaking water hemlock for water parsnip, through 10 rules for marriage, to ways of celebrating the winter solstice. Tells about Missoula. Montana, where the writer visited&called her. She is married to Melvin Williams, who is 75-years-old&likes to hike into the Rattlesnake Wilderness&spend 5 days by himself ice-fishing &camping. Describes Kim Williams, who doesn't drive, has a high-pitched voice&N.Y. accent, is 5 foot 2, weighs 127&has gray-blond hair. She's writing a book called"The Do-Before-You're-Done-To Plan for Living," about how we have to take our health into our own hands. Writer visited her offices talked to her. She told of the address of every place she'd lived, including Ithaca, N.Y., where she went to Cornell&got a degree in human ecology; L.A., where she was a copygirl for the Examiner, Brooklyn, where she worked for the magazine Flower Grower&acted in Off Broadway; Santiago Chile, where she lived for 18 years while Mel worked as a S. American representative of the Joy Manufacturing Company&Missoula, where they moved in 1970. She began to write a column on wildflowers&plants for the Missoulian, which lead to her own program on radio station KUFM, which lead to her show now. She said that she'd been fired 22 times in her life& told about what you should do if you're in Missoula.